Mother's Day

I wanted to watch a light comedy and chose Mother’s Day directed by Garry Marshall. An ensemble cast beckoned me to this tale of interconnecting lives as they merge around the time of Mother’s Day. The film is rated PG-13 for language and some suggestive material.

Sandy (Jennifer Aniston) is trying to work out the shared responsibilities of her two sons after a divorce from their father Henry (Timothy Olyphant). An aspiring designer, she juggles it all valiantly. Henry remarries quite suddenly to Tina (Shay Mitchell), a woman much younger than the two divorcees.

Kristin (Britt Robertson) is pregnant and working in a bar. She evades marriage with the father of her child, citing reasons of having been adopted as an infant.

Jesse (Kate Hudson) is married to Russell (Aasif Mandvi) and they have a son. Her sister Gabi (Sarah Chalke) has a female partner Max (Cameron Esposito), and they also have a child. They have not told their conservative, flag waving parents about either of their relationships due to the parents’ racism and prejudice against persons of color and lesbians. Much to their chagrin, their parents Florence (Margo Martindale) and Earl (Robert Pine) show up in a huge RV for Mother’s Day and are shocked to learn the truth about their daughters.

Miranda (Julia Roberts) is a successful career woman who has secrets she hasn’t even told her loyal personal assistant Lance (Hector Elizondo).

How all these families come together, you’ll have to see for yourself. I think you’d be enchanted with these intertwining relationships. The comedy is first rate, the dialogue snappy and spot on, and you may even shed a tear or two by the end of the film.

Whether you’re a parent or not, we all have a mother, and I thought this film touched on several of the possible scenarios that could make up the relationship between mother and children. Did you see Mother’s Day? How did you like it? How do you like other Garry Marshall films?

Mother's Day - Official Trailer

The World Before Your Feet

The World Before Your Feet is a wonderful documentary about Matt Green, a young man who decided to walk every block of every street, park, cemetery and public space in New York City. This is about 8,000 miles so it is no small feat. The film is rated PG-13.

I enjoyed this film very much, partially because I am a walker myself, and also because it tells the story of this man so well, and shows New York City in a way tourists and even residents don’t get to see.

This is his passion, and Matt researches where he walks. He has a blog at I'm Just Walkin' and has found people all around New York City to be kind and supportive of his endeavors. I especially liked the segments where we get to see things in the city that are alike. His walks are ongoing now for five plus years. It is amazing to me how he has found a rhythm of sorts in where he sleeps, what he eats, his relationships, and how he schedules his time for this unusual goal.

In some respects, the last film I reviewed, Free Solo, is along the same lines of this man’s quest. Both men are determined and exacting in their plans to do what others wouldn’t even dream about, for perhaps reasons that aren’t even in their personal awareness.

Are you a walker? Have you watched The World Before Your Feet? What did you think of Matt’s goal and discoveries?

The World Before Your Feet - Official Trailer

Free Solo

Free Solo is the Academy Award winning Best Documentary for 2019. It is about Alex Honnold, a rock climber who set a goal for himself to scale El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without the use of the usual safety gear. The film is rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

I knew about rock climbing. It is not a sport I choose to engage in. But I am fascinated by people who are single minded in their purpose, and have a strong desire to achieve what seems to be the impossible. Alex is just such a person.

Amazing to me was the incredible cinematography that created this inspiring film. The filmmakers are themselves rock climbers, and so they could position themselves on the rock face near where Alex was climbing for filming.

Free Solo is not just about the climb itself, it reviews how Alex became the man he is today, his childhood and early youth. It also explores how someone who takes the risks he does has perhaps a different brain chemistry than we who stay at home and just watch him do it. Actually, I watched the film in the theater, and if you can see it on the big screen I recommend it. Perhaps it will come to an art cinema near you. The scenery is so magnificent, and it made me want to visit Yosemite even more. Sadly, I have not yet been to that National Park; it’s on my must do list.

Have you engaged in extreme sports? Did you see Free Solo? Does Alex inspire you to achieve your goals with new determination?

Free Solo - Official Trailer

Isle of Dogs

Isle of Dogs is an animated film, with screenplay and direction by Wes Anderson. It was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature Film, and Best Original Score by Alexandre Desplat. Isle of Dogs is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some violent images.

I have been a fan of Wes Anderson’s films since Rushmore. Perhaps you too have watched some of his films. (My favorites are The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom.)

I was interested in how his unique sense of humor would translate to an animated film. Many of the actors he often uses in his films provided the voices for the characters (Edward Norton, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray among others; Bryan Cranston is the voice of the dog Chief).

In Megasaki, Japan, dogs have been banished to Trash Island at the behest of Mayor Kobayashi after an outbreak of dog flu endangers the citizens. One loyal dog owner, Atari, goes in search of his beloved pet Spots, and he encounters danger and intrigue at every turn. 

The story moved right along, and I loved watching Isle of Dogs. There’s a bit of social commentary in this tale as well as some subtle warnings about the environment. The music is beautiful and fitting to the action, and made the animation really come to life.

Did you see Isle of Dogs? What did you think stood out more: the animation itself, the story, or even how the music accented the storyline? What are your favorite Wes Anderson films?

Isle of Dogs - Official Trailer

Christopher Robin

I felt like the film Christopher Robin didn’t know whether it was made for children or for adults. I remember reading Winnie-the-Pooh in my childhood. I haven’t read it in decades, but I was curious about this film. Ewan McGregor is Christopher Robin all grown up, with a job, a wife, a daughter, and all the adult responsibilities such a life involves.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects. I was curious how the stuffed animals would be integrated into a live action film. Christopher Robin is rated PG for some action. That action is really the best part of the film and occurs mainly in the second half. The first part is quite slow moving, and I really had to have faith it would get better in order to continue watching it. 

Christopher returns to Hundred Acre Wood with Winnie-the-Pooh in search of all their old friends.This is where the Visual Effects really were stellar. These stuffed animals come to life, especially in the action sequences. I marveled at how it could have been done, the creatures interacting with live actors, situations and props. It really was quite wonderful.

Christopher’s young daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael) steals the show with her passion and faith in her preoccupied father. Some of the best quotes from the book are in this film, and should make you consider what is really important in life: doing nothing, eating honey, enjoying your friends and family. I recommend this film if you enjoyed and remember Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh, or if you want to see some truly special visual effects.

Did you read Winnie-the-Pooh? Did you see the film and did you like the twist it put on now adult Christopher Robin?

Christopher Robin - Official Trailer

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

I watched the Coen brothers film, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, on streaming Netflix. It seems people either love or hate a Coen brothers film, and I cautiously tuned this one in. The movie is about the American West, and features six vignettes about very different situations. It was based on the book of short stories of the same name, and the screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay by Joel and Ethan Coen.

The film also received a nomination for Best Original Song, When a Cowboy Trades his Spurs for Wings, which I thought was very appropriate for the story it was featured in (which is the first tale). The film was also nominated for Best Costume Design.

I was captivated by this film and the stories it told. It is rated R for some strong violence. The film’s locations included New Mexico, Nebraska, and Colorado. 

The six stories are diverse. The first story, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, is the most offbeat. Tim Blake Nelson plays a singing cowboy with some fancy gun slinging skills.

Near Algodones features James Franco, who makes an appealing bank robber. (Algodones is an area north of Albuquerque.)

Liam Neeson is a cold hearted entrepreneur with a one-man freak show in Meal Ticket.

In All Gold Canyon, prospector Tom Waits finds what he’s looking for, but can he keep it?

On a wagon train to Oregon, the heartbreaking, sad tale of The Gal Who Got Rattled is told very well.

A couple of bounty hunters on a stage coach is taking their latest catch, The Mortal Remains, into a creepy hotel. It is visually quite stunning the way it is filmed, as are the other panoramic views of the west in other tales.

I recommend this film. And initially I didn’t think I would like it much, but the storytelling is really first rate. Did you see this anthology of short films, and what did you think of the way the Coen brothers presented the tales?

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs - Official Trailer

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

There were three Academy Award nominations this year for the sobering, yet entertaining film, Can You Ever Forgive Me? Melissa McCarthy was nominated for Best Actress playing writer Lee Israel, Richard E. Grant was nominated for Best Supporting Actor as her friend and partner in crime, Jack Hock, and a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay based on Lee’s memoir of the same name rounded out the accolades.

The film is rated R for language, including some sexual references, and brief drug use. It is based on the true story of Lee Israel, an author who had some success in publishing, but later very much lost her way. I enjoyed watching this film. It was very well done, and didn’t minimize the troubles Lee found herself in due to drinking, depression and poor choices.

Melissa McCarthy has made her career shine as a comedic actress, yet in playing Lee, she fully embraces the serious side of her abilities. She plays Lee bravely and without making her seem like a pathetic person. Lee was fully aware of her choices, and came out in the end without paying too much of a price for her deceptions and the forgery she excelled at.

The film depicted the times of the early 1990’s true to the era, and the relationship between Lee and Jack is believable and complete. I highly recommend Can You Ever Forgive Me?

How would you feel if you were a writer and suddenly couldn’t get published anymore? Probably you wouldn’t go to the lengths Lee did, but where would you draw the line to make ends meet? Did you see the film, and what did you think of it?

Can You Ever Forgive Me? - Official Trailer

The Florida Project

The Florida Project resulted in an Oscar nomination of Best Supporting Actor in 2018 for Willem Dafoe. He played manager Bobby at a motel just on the outskirts of Disneyland in Florida. One where the clientele are the down and out and rooms are rented by the week or month. Not for the traveler actually going to see Disneyland, this motel is for those who have no other choices for housing.

The film is rated R for language throughout, disturbing behavior, sexual references and some drug material.

Halley (Bria Vinaite) and her six-year-old daughter Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) are residents at the motel, and although Halley tries her hardest to provide for Moonee, she has few skills in being a single Mom and sole breadwinner. Halley relies on scamming any way she can, on the generosity of others in her “community,” and ultimately on her body.

Bobby doesn’t put up with anyone not following the rules in his motel. He has superiors he has to report to, and rules to follow himself. He does have a heart for the children though, innocent victims of birth and circumstances. In one very compelling scene, he creatively and effectively deals with a would-be child molester, who surely won’t return to prey on the unsupervised children again.

I watched this film several months after its release with a friend of mine who is a social worker. Having been a child and family therapist myself years ago, I saw the reality of what these families were going through all too well. My friend and I agreed that Halley was trying her best, but unfortunately it simply was not enough. Why some people have kids is simply a tragedy for them and their children.

Did you see The Florida Project and did it change how you think about the disadvantaged in America?

The Florida Project - Official Trailer

Period. End of Sentence.

I was delighted to discover that the Academy Award winning film for Best Documentary Short is currently on streaming Netflix! Period. End of Sentence.

I had not seen the nominated films in this category, so eagerly watched this excellent short film that is just 26 minutes long. The film was made in India, and the Hindi language is dubbed in English, so the dialogue is easy to follow.

In a rural village just outside of Delhi, India, young girls found it difficult to stay in school due to no easy access to sanitary napkins to use during menstruation. Many would drop out of academics completely. With the help of The Pad Project the women in this village began manufacturing and selling safe, hygienic pads. As I was watching this inspiring film, I realized how privileged I’ve been to live in a country where feminine hygiene products are available virtually everywhere, in sharp contrast to the lives of females in underdeveloped countries who have to resort to old clothing and rags during that time of the month. The income made by manufacturing these pads makes a big difference in the female workers' lives, and the easier access to feminine hygiene products brings more choices for the young women who purchase them.

I encourage everyone to watch this film, especially if you are a woman. It is wonderful to see that there is such an initiative because we know that the education of women makes the difference between a life of few choices, and one where opportunity abounds. 

Period. End of Sentence. Watch the film and come back and tell me what you thought of it. Were you inspired to take any action?

Period. End of Sentence. Official Trailer

The Wife

Glenn Close was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in The Wife (regrettably she lost to Olivia Colman in a horrible movie, The Favourite), and so I was very interested to see her performance. I thought I knew what the film The Wife would be about after I saw the trailer. I did not guess the twist to the plot that is the big reveal near the end of the story which made it that much more satisfying to watch. The film is rated R for language and some sexual content.

Joan (Glenn Close) and Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce) have been married for about 40 years. Joe is a well known writer who has been chosen to receive a Nobel prize for literature. Flying to Stockholm, they run into journalist Nathanial Bone (Christian Slater). Nathanial wants to write a biography about Joe, and stirs up their seemingly perfect life with some well founded claims about the real relationship between Joan and Joe.

Also on the trip is their son David (Max Irons) who bears some resentment towards his father. The interactions between the three family members and Nathanial really stir things up as they prepare and rehearse for Joe’s participation in the Nobel Prize ceremony. The fact that women give up their lives in support of their husbands is not news. What is interesting in this film is the lengths to which narcissistic Joe and long-suffering Joan go to keep up their charade and deceit.

Glenn Close gives a stellar performance, Jonathan Pryce is convincing as her self-centered husband, and Christian Slater is perfect in his role as the biographer researching the family secrets.

Did you see The Wife? What did you think of Joan’s decision at the end of the film?

The Wife - Official Trailer